Lessons: My Path to a Meaningful Life

Other people’s words have almost nothing to do with you and almost everything to do with them.

In the end, the longest and most important relationship any of us will ever have is with ourselves. That’s why I believe self-awareness is so important. We all need to learn to become comfortable with ourselves as early as possible, and to grasp that we are responsible for who we are. And, as I said, the best way to get to know ourselves is through our relationships with others.

We can’t choose the circumstances of our lives, but we can choose how we experience them.

If you spend time comparing yourself with someone else, the only thing you’re doing is setting yourself up for disappointment and failure. You won’t ever feel good enough. There are seven and half billion people in the world, so chances are that someone will always be “better” than you in some respect. But is that person you? Did she grow up in your family? Did she grow up at the same time you did, share your parents, your siblings, your childhood, your teachers, your friends, your advantages, your disadvantages, your education, your jobs, or . . . ? Of course she didn’t. When we frame things that way, the idea of comparing ourselves to other people seems ridiculous. I compare myself with only one person: me. Am I doing the best I can at my job? Am I being the best wife, the best mother, the best friend, the best human being? How can I keep learning and improving?

Twice a week, I make a point not to eat anything until lunchtime, even if I am working out. I always feel incredibly energized from this mini fast.

I believe that we can choose to live in heaven or hell right here on earth. Both are in our own minds. We are helping create either one.

She could be sexy or demure. She could be a soldier or a brazen woman.

Remember, you and I and everyone who lives on this earth is a part of nature—and why are we here if not to learn, grow, and help one another?

When a baby is born, a mother takes a step backward. A part of her dies. It was also the death of me-ness, of ego, of me putting myself and my own needs first. Birth is a metaphor for many aspects of life, because it takes much effort, and only after we have passed the test are we given a reward.

There’s a quote I love that says we have only two ways to live our lives. One is as if nothing is a miracle. The other is as if everything is a miracle. Nature shows me that everything is a miracle.

Also, lemon is a natural disinfectant, so if anyone in my house is sick, I cut a lemon in two and leave it faceup on the dresser next to the bed. In the winter I also like making a tea out of manuka honey, three or four chopped-up lemons, and freshly grated ginger, especially if the kids or I feel the beginnings of a cold.